Nan Barclay
1925 2016

It is with profound sadness that the family of Nan Barclay announces that she passed away peacefully March 4, 2016 at Rosefield Centre with her daughter Jean and son-in-law Monty by her side.

Nan was born November 23, 1925 to Joan and Archie Hoar. She grew up on the family farm east of Innisfail Nan and attended school in Knee Hill Valley and finished her high school in Red Deer and then went on to complete her teachers training in Red Deer and the University of Alberta.

Her first job as a teacher was just outside of Rocky Mountain House in a country school with a classroom of 40 children, grades 1-8. Her desire was to move back closer to home and she came back to Knee Hill Valley where she taught at Horseshoe Lake school.

A young man from Calgary, Lorne Barclay had moved into the area and was working at his Uncle’s farm and was friends with Nan’s brother Geoff Hoar. It was not long until Geoff was being left behind and Lorne and Nan were going on dates. On July 4 1949 Lorne and Nan were married at the Innisfail United Church. Their family was complete after adopting son Bill and daughter Jean.

Nan was a busy typical farm wife helping Lorne with the farm as well as making sure her children were involved an all sorts of activities such as swimming, figure skating, hockey, 4-H, baseball, volleyball and basketball just to name a few. Nan even volunteered to be the umpire for the kid’s Knee Hill Valley softball team. She was well known in the community for her beautiful wedding cakes and had decorated cakes for the weddings of almost every young couple in the valley. Nan was an avid sewer, knitter, crocheted beautiful afghan blankets and hooked many rugs and was an avid gardener and always had a beautiful yard. Nan was a founding member of Club 51 (in 1951), a volunteer group of ladies in Knee Hill Valley and remained a member until the club disbanded in 2013.

Nan learned how to downhill ski and always said of all the things she did in her life skiing at Sunshine on a clear blue sky day trumped everything. She loved the mountains winter or summer. Nan was also an avid golfer and member of the Innisfail Golf Club. She played golf until she was 86. Lorne and Nan owned a home at Apache Wells Golf Resort in Mesa, AZ and Nan was a member of the hiking club and enjoyed the groups hikes in the Superstition Mountains every week. Lorne and Nan traveled to many places including Barbados, Australia, New Zealand, Europe on more than one occasion, to Alaska and the Yukon. Nan went on 2 cruises with Geoff and Alice Hoar after Lorne passed away.

Out of all the things Nan did and enjoyed what was most precious to her was her family and friends. There was nothing Nan enjoyed more than having people around the dining room table for a meal or just for cookies and coffee. She loved her children unconditionally and always encouraged them to do what they love. Nan was always more concerned about others than she was of herself and a champion of the underdog, a trait she inherited from her Mum. She was a caregiver in every sense of the word right to the end.

Nan is survived by her daughter Jean (Monty), son Bill (Coleen), grandchildren James, Aric and Bryan, great grandchildren Cory and Kimberley and great great granddaughter Eliza born Dec 31, 2015, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents Joan and Archie Hoar and her brothers Geoff and Dick Hoar.

Jean extends a special thank you to the caring and compassionate staff at Rosefield Centre for their support and love, Dr. Miller and all the families we have met who have been on the same journey. Also a special thank you to Karen Jejina for all she has done the past 5 years.

A Celebration on Nan’s life will be held Friday, March 11, 2016 at 1:00 pm at the Innisfail United Church with the Rev. Margaret Lange officiating. Jean